The Mount Alexander Shire could lock in half a century of contracts to ease crippling shortages of affordable housing, depending on community feedback.
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Councillors have voted to get public input on the plan for 49-year leases of land at 10 Steele Street Maldon and 2A Canrobert Street Newstead.
The idea would pave the way for small homes for elderly residents, single people and "sole person households" in partnership with welfare agency Wintringham Housing Limited.
It has asked for such long leases after being left in the lurch by a separate council during Victoria's largest public housing build in a generation, which is seeing $1.25 billion pumped into 425,600 new houses.
Wintringham was burnt when that council denied it permission to build even after state funding was locked in.
The agency does not want a repeat in Mount Alexander Shire given applications to Victoria's Big Housing Build can cost around $50,000, council officers say.
The new deal hinges on Homes Victoria greenlighting funding. The goal is to try to get that money in late 2023 or early 2024.
'Huge' need south of Bendigo
Demand is high in the Castlemaine-based shire as cost of living pressures and housing shortages bite.
Hundreds of people on high priority waiting lists are open to one-bedroom units and want to live in the Castlemaine district, council officers said.
It is part of a "huge demand" from people priced out of the private rental market, Wintrington founder Bryan Lipmann AM said.
"Our track record in the Castlemaine area and in other regional centres throughout Victoria and Tasmania shows we deliver community assets that not only meet the needs of older people, but also deliver housing designs that integrate well with the local surrounding environment," he said.
"Wintringham is excited to work in partnership with Council on this opportunity, to provide housing for older people in the Maldon and Newstead areas who have been priced out of the private rental market."
Mr Lipman vowed to work with all relevant stakeholders for a finished product that locals could be proud of.
More news:
Mayor Annear said plans could be locked in after community consultations which were expected to take four weeks.
Drop-in sessions in Maldon have been scheduled to start later this month.
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